Karl L. Schubaltz
Karl L. Schubaltz (Karl Liechien Schwarz in the Japanese version - see trivia below) is a fictional character from Zoids: Chaotic Century and Zoids: Guardian Force. He is one of the supporting characters in both series'. Overview Chaotic Century Karl is shown to be an honorable soldier who wants peace, rather than war, between the Guylos Empire and the Helic Republic. He seems to be very duty-oriented and dedicated to his work. Although he is loyal to the Empire and Prince Rudolph, Karl despises Prozen, and would later team up with the Republican forces to defeat him. were raised in a wealthy household.]] Karl grew up in a rich household with his younger brother, Thomas. Unlike Thomas, who was interested in machinery and technology, Karl favored maintaining the honor of the family name. Consequently, he accepted the responsibility of taking on this burden, and was likely the favorite child. After some time, Karl joined the military, and quickly rose through the ranks, reaching Major by the time he made his debut in episode 6, where he commanded the Imperial 4th Land Battalion in the Red River area. When he and his forces attacked the Helic Republic at the border, he ended up retreating due to the collapse of Fire Bridge (thanks to Van Flyheight), which halted the arrival of Imperial reinforcements. He later lead an attack on the Helic capital but was stopped by the arrival of the Gojulas. His battalion was finally defeated after the volcano at Mt. Osa base erupted, taking out a good deal of the Guylos force. He returned later on to take part in the battle between Prozen and Van, sacrificing the fist of his Iron Kong to immobilize the leg of the Death Saurer, enabling Rosso and Viola to take out its Charged Particle Intake Fan with their Storm Sworders. Guardian Force battles Thomas' Dibison.]] After the Guardian Force time skip, Karl is still in the Guylos army, promoted to the rank of Full Colonel. By this time, he was revealed to have a younger brother, Thomas. In episode 7, Karl was taken under the control of Rease, and forced to fight his brother, nearly killing him due to the fact that he was unaware of his actions. Later, Karl reappeared to help capture Raven once the Geno Saurer began its evolution, taking him back to an Imperial base for interrogation. Soon after, he organized a joint project between the Imperial and Republican forces to destroy the Zoid before it could fully develop; the plan failed when the new Geno Breaker emerged from its cocoon and broke through the army lines. Nevertheless, he would continue to help the Guardian Force in their fight against Hiltz, as he helped defend New Helic City when it was under siege, and was put in charge of firing the Ultrasaurus' Gravity Cannon. Manga In the manga version of Chaotic Century, Karl appeared as a Major in the Imperial army. He is first seen at the city of Porto, searching for a Republican spy (Herman) who had taken cover in the area. He aided Van's group on several occasions, first stopping a battle from breaking out in the city between the Republican and Imperial armies, and shortly after by fighting together with Van against Raven's Geno Saurer. Afterwards, he helped by agreeing to report a Redler that Van defeated as an "Emergency Crash Landing," so that the incident could not be used as a reason to declare war. Personality Anime Like Thomas, Karl is shown to be a serious man. However, unlike his younger brother, Karl can take a joke, and he sometimes gives a sarcastic remark himself. He also takes pride in being part of the Guylos military, and is one of the few non-corrupt officers. He has a deep sense of justice and ethical value, and is undyingly loyal to those he considers his allies. Karl would prefer to retreat and spare his troops rather than take a risk and drag out a battle. This is demonstrated in episode 7 of Chaotic Century, after Van took out Fire Bridge, which stopped the advance of Imperial back-up forces to Red River (Karl remarked that Republican support forces would soon arrive, and that by that time, it would be too late to retreat). He ordered another retreat in episode 15 when his unit was confronted by the Republic's Gojulas, openly stating that a commander wouldn't stand by and watch his army be destroyed. This ideology of his was shown again in episode 18 when he ordered a retreat from the erupting Mt. Osa volcano. Karl seems to favor strategy over brute force. In episode 29 of Chaotic Century, when fighting in a gorge against three Black Redlers in his customized Sabre Tiger, it is noted that Karl kept the canyon wall to his back, thereby limiting the firing options of the Redler. He also seems to be patient, as he put up with Marcus' antics throughout the series. In addition to this, Karl is observant, experienced, and well aware of all sorts of military tricks and tactics. In episode 13, he was able to recognize a trap (in the form of a bomb placed in the abandoned Cronos fortress) shortly before the explosion went off. Soon afterwards, he scolded Marcus (who lost half his Molga unit to the trap). In reply, Marcus told Karl that he would use this opportunity to learn from Karl's experience and knowledge concerning the battlefield. Despite the minor quarrels these two officers engage in throughout Chaotic Century, Karl shows Marcus respect via a proper salute when he is killed at the Mt. Osa Base, due to the eruption of the volcano. While speaking to Prozen in episode 7, Karl also displayed a similar sort of respect and politeness, even though he disliked the Regent. Though he is usually stern and strict, Karl frequently shows compassion, revealing his softer side. He is always polite when speaking to superiors, most notably Rudolph, towards whom he shows undying loyalty. He is also gentle with his brother, though he tends to become irked when Thomas fails to address him by his military title. Nonetheless, Karl cares immensely for Thomas; in episode 7 and 27 of Guardian Force, he acknowledges how proud he is of his little brother. In addition, Karl showed a mutual respect towards Van in episodes 4 and 13 of Guardian Force. Aboard the Ultrasaurus, he continues to support Van, including the tense moment when the Blade Liger is fired out of the Gravity Cannon. Manga Karl's attitude in the manga is very similar to his personality in the anime; he is extremely serious, and dedicated to his work. On several occasions, he voiced his opinion about how important it is for members of the military to carry out their duty, show respect, and take pride in being a soldier. Irvine remarked that Karl's plan to prevent a battle from starting at the city was brilliant, and that he was clearly a professional soldier. When Raven first attacked the city of Porto in his Geno Saurer, Karl became upset. He ordered an emergency evacuation of all citizens in the area, wishing to keep them out of harm's way (similar to where he stated that there could be no justice in a war that resulted in civilian suffering in episode 29 of the Chaotic Century anime). In addition, he also favors retreat over risking a skirmish against a larger, more powerful force, arguing that it wasn't his job to lose battles. Despite this outward aloofness, Karl still displays compassion, as he thanked Van for his assistance at Porto, and offered the gratitude of the army. He was also very concerned for his friend and fellow officer, Kirsche Hartriegel, when she ended up becoming manipulated by the Berserker System of the Death Stinger. Appearance Anime Karl is shown with straight blond hair that reaches the nape of his neck; when wearing his hat, a few tufts stick out above his ears, spiking outward to the sides. His face shape is quite standard, his eyes drawn to look a little more potent; the top of each lid is made with a straight line, while the bottom sides are sharply angled. His irises are a lime-green, and his pupil made by a single black dot in the center. Karl is one of the few characters in Chaotic Century and Guardian Force who lacks facial markings. In both seasons, Karl wears a dull purple uniform, featuring a double-breasted coat and peak hat. As he advances in rank, the badges on Karl's uniform change. Originally, as a Major, Karl was given two bars on his left breast, the first being divided into six separate sections of alternating color. The second bar is a solid yellow. Below these two horizontal stripes are three separate circles, from which drop three vertical stripes. In Guardian Force, when he advanced to Colonel, a third horizontal green bar was added to the bottom of the initial two. In addition to this, a fourth dot and vertical stripe were added to the bottom. Chaotic Century When he first appeared in Chaotic Century, Karl was shown wearing a high-collared coat with thick, grey armor over his shoulders, accompanied by an angular plate rising up on each side. From each these plates hung red tassels over his upper arms. Over his hands, he wore loose, fingerless gloves that were pulled up to his elbows. His uniform folded over, copying a double-breasted style, across the right side of his chest, lined with a thin yellow strip. The pattern lacked one set of buttons, showing a total of three fasteners evenly spaced down the front. Near his hips, the uniform folded over a bit, bundling up above a grey belt, the two sides of which arched down. In the back, the coat reached nearly to his heels, as it sported a long tail. The front angled down as two separate strips of cloth, coming to two points near his knees before arching up again to his hips. He wore pants of the same color and material, which ballooned out at his knees, over which rose the peaks of his grey boots. Karl's signature accessory is his hat, colored the same purple, with an unusually long visor, which often obscures half of his face. Strangely, the hat doesn't show his unit insignia, but golden bars that form the shape of a "W" above his forehead. Guardian Force In Guardian Force, Karl's coat is modified slightly. The front separates from a cut coming down straight from his collar, where it had previously been made from over his left shoulder. The lining of the collar is redone, creating a small separate piece in the middle, whereas previously the collar had been joined in the middle with two simple yellow strips. His shoulder armor is modified, adding two golden plates beneath the initial grey armor. The red tassels now drop down from the second golden plate, a little lower on his shoulders. His belt is remodeled to lie straight across, and changed to match the color of his uniform buttons, rather than the darker grey. Manga In the manga version of Chaotic Century, Karl retains most of his familiar physical attributes. Though his hair is styled in a similar manner, it should be noted that when wearing his hat, it does not stick up from beneath the rim. In addition, his bangs are drawn differently: in the anime, Karl was given long, straight bangs across his forehead, with the lock of hair in the middle being the longest; in the manga, he is seen with his hair parted down the middle, with his bangs falling above his eyes across the two halves of his face. Like in the anime, he has no facial markings. Although Karl's hat is identical, his uniform differs from the design instituted in the anime. Though still a dark color and double breasted, the fold over the front turns to the left rather than the right, as the English adaption of the manga was flipped. The coat is fastened with two sets of buttons, and belted at his waist. Underneath the coat, he seems to have another high-collared piece, the edges of which are lined with a lighter cloth. His coat sports a long tail in the back which falls to about his knees, and armor plating over his shoulders. Like in the anime, there are tassels that hang down from these plates on either side. Karl wears a pair of white gloves that cut off at his wrists, and dark, knee-high boots. His pants seem to match the color of his uniform, but are straight-legged, thus do not give the same ballooning effect set in the anime. In the manga, Karl's badges are identical in formation to Herman's: they consist of a total of four bars, one long, horizontal stripe on top, and three on the bottom. The rightmost of the remaining three is parallel to the top stripe, while the other two, adjacent to the second, are vertical. Ability as a Zoid Pilot Anime neutralize Hiltz's E-Shield.]] Karl is a capable Zoid pilot. He can defeat most enemies with ease, but has been defeated by the main villains and main characters. The Zoid he piloted in his debut was a Dark Horn, but he later reverted to piloting an Iron Kong and Zaber Fang, both of which were modified to utilize the Beam Gatling Gun of the Red/Dark Horn. Later in the series, he was also responsible for firing the Gravity Cannon of the Ultrasaurus under the command of Rob Herman, who stated that Karl was the best man for the job. Gravity Cannon, ready to pull the trigger.]] Although he is not often shown in combat, he is shown to be capable of surviving most of his battles, even if he does get taken down eventually. He displayed a good partnership with Herman in episode 25 of Guardian Force, when they charged against the Death Stinger, with the plan being for Herman's Shield Liger's E-Shield to neutralize the Death Stinger's own E-Shield and for Karl to strike from behind. In episode 15 of Chaotic Century, Karl was shown to be capable of taking out an entire unit of sleeper Zoids all by himself. He easily dispatched the Republican force with his Iron Kong's shoulder-mounted Gatling Gun, using a tactical sweep. In episode 27 of Guardian Force, Karl helped fight off Hiltz's Sinkers when the Ultrasaurus was attacked at sea, displaying exceptional marksmanship by shooting down enemy air craft in mid-flight. This is acknowledged by Thomas, who praises Karl for his skill. Battle Story In the Battle Story, Karl used an Iron Kong to disable Prozen's Bloody Death Saurer. After being wounded, Prozen opted to self-destruct his Zoid, aiming to destroy the Imperial and Republican armies. Manga In the manga adaption of Chaotic Century, Karl also piloted an Iron Kong. He used it briefly in Porto to stop a fight from breaking out in the middle of the city, and a second time against Raven's Geno Saurer. He fought using the Kong again to try to stop the Death Stinger when it started rampaging. However, in this third fight, the Death Stinger ripped off one of the Kong's arms. Though Karl survived the battle, it is unclear if the Kong was ever repaired. Relationships Like all characters, Karl has his own relationships: Anime Thomas: While Karl seems to look down on Thomas or ignore him, he cares immensely for his brother. He regrets nearly killing Thomas when he was under Reese's influence, and has risked his life for his younger brother. One gag in the series is that Thomas forgets to call Karl by his military title, normally addressing him in a more informal, brotherly tone. Van: While Karl and Van were enemies at first, the two would eventually become allies. Karl even thanked Van at the end of episode 7 of Chaotic Century for taking out Fire Bridge and stopping the battle at Red River. He sees Van as a capable Zoid pilot. Prozen: Karl both loathes and distrusts Prozen, and was aware of that Prozen manipulated the events that started the war between Helic and Guylos during the series, but was never able to do anything to stop him. Rudolph Zeppelin III: Karl is shown to be loyal to Prince Rudolph. He cares deeply for Rudolph's well-being, and is relieved to see him alive and well after Prozen's arranged assassination. Raven: Karl disliked Raven's destructive attitude from the very beginning, and hated the fact that Raven was allowed to do whatever he wished under Prozen's command. Later in Guardian Force, when Raven was captured and interrogated, he refused to cooperate with Karl, which angered Van and Thomas. Karl tried in vain to unravel the secrets of the Geno Saurer while it was still developing in Shadow's cocoon, but Raven didn't reveal a thing. Marcus: Even though Marcus works alongside Karl for most of Chaotic Century, neither of them are able to make peace with the other. Karl usually remains patient with Marcus, but they always end up clashing over conflicting points of view. Marcus wants Karl disposed of, and has disobeyed his orders more than once while in combat. Rob Herman: Karl and Herman faced off against one another at the battle of Red River in episode 7 of Chaotic Century. Although they were rivals at first (though even then each seemed to express a respect for the other's abilities as commanders), the two seem to become partners later in Guardian Force; they worked together to take on Hiltz's Death Stinger when New Helic City was assaulted, and then later on aboard the Ultrasaurus. Manga Van: He aids Van's group on several occasions, first stopping a battle from breaking out in the city between the Republican and Imperial armies, and shortly after by fighting together with Van against Raven's Geno Saurer. Later in the series, Karl returned, forestalling conflict once more by agreeing to report a Redler that was defeated by Van as an "Emergency Crash Landing" to his superiors, instead of admitting that Van defeated the Zoid, so that the incident could not be used as an excuse to start a war. Kirsche Hartriegel: Karl and Kirsche are portrayed as good friends, and work alongside the other in the Imperial army. Both are friendly towards the other; at one point in the series, they both address the other by their first name rather than their corresponding military rank. When Kirsche accidentally falls under the control of the Death Stinger's Berserker System, Karl becomes very concerned, and begs Van to help save her. Raven: Like in the anime, Karl seems skeptical about Raven's attitude. Karl tries to stop him from obliterating Porto, pursuing Raven into the city with his Iron Kong. Karl is able to stall Raven for a short while and provide Van with a little more time to recuperate. Battle Story Prozen: As in the anime, Karl doesn't seem to trust Prozen. Together with Rudolph, Karl attacked Prozen's Bloody Death Saurer before it could be mobilized. Karl's Iron Kong was able to badly damage the Death Saurer, injuring Prozen in the process. As a result, Prozen decided to overload his Death Saurer, intending to wipe out the Imperial and Republican armies. Zoids Legacy Database Entry :"Karl L.S. Imperial Force Major and later colonel, leading the 1st armor division. Comes from a family of famous warriors and great commanders in past battles. Good or bad, he is often the chosen one. " Trivia cockpit.]] *In episode 7 of Chaotic Century, Karl is in the possession of a black lily, which he keeps on a table in Dragon Head base, then inside the cockpit of his Dark Horn. Strangely, the flower is never seen again throughout the series. *Schubaltz is the only character in Chaotic Century to own more than two Zoids (at the same time). *Karl's middle name has been spelled and pronounced a number of different ways. The 10th Anniversary DVD (which accompanied the model kit based on his Iron Kong) romanised it as "Liechien;" it was pronounced "Lichen" in Chaotic Century episode 7 and "Lichten" in Guardian Force episode 7. The English translation of the Chaotic Century manga spelled it as "Lichten," and then again (inconsistently) as "Liechten." Due to these conflicting sources, his middle name has been abbreviated using the first initial. *Karl's Japanese voice actor, Yuji Ueda, is also the voice actor of Sagara Sanosuke in Rurouni Kenshin anime series. Sort Category:Chaotic Century characters